An amazing retreat for finding your inner being through wellness. One of the most rejuvenating experiences one can take. Farid’s energy, passion and strengths inspired me to go forward to embrace an integrative way of living.

Hello everyone! I am Laura Russu,  I am a freelance scenographer, a wife and mother of 3 amazing young men!  I meet Cristina Bâtlan in 2016 and we became  friends, we are both artists so it was easy. That spring I joined the retreat in Valea Doftanei and it was an amazing experience that changed my life and also the lives of the loved ones and the lives of other complete strangers that I met since than and to whom I shared the whole  experience and the whole new life concept. Thank you Cristina and Farid for all your gifts! I love You

Hi Farid, I would like to thank you and to Cristina for the week we spent in September in Valea Doftanei. For me it was one of those moments in life when you turn the main direction and set new life goals! So far after 2 months, I have a plant based diet, with no oil and most of the days I have done the Qigong set of exercises you have taught us. The qigong has helped me a lot to pass over the Covid infection I had recently. I am looking forward to seeing when we will have another week!

I arrived at my first retreat with Integrative Life a few years ago. Back then, I was feeling very stressed and had low energy, I was sleeping three or four hours a night. After the 7 days retreat I started feeling relieved, my mind was clearer and for the first time in a while I was sleeping better. The mix of yoga, qigong, healthy food, evening discussions about health and the Asian philosophy of life helped me look at my stressful life from a different perspective. What particularly stuck out, was the fact that if I want to help others, I have to put myself first because if I am healthy and have a clear mind, I can help the people around me in a more constructive way.  Since then, I go once or twice a year to an Integrative Life retreat just to remind my body and mind that there is a better way of living and managing stress while eating delicious healthy food. Also, another major strong point is the friendly environment created by Farid Alipour, the coordinator of the retreat, who lives by the principles he promotes and has as goal sharing his knowledge and philosophy of life.

No words can explain the impact that the retreat with Farid and Cristina had on me. Not only did I realise that I am capable of a lot more than I thought, both physically and mentally, but that I am able to feel much more energized and healthy in my everyday life, even after a few days of changing my lifestyle, exercise and eating habits. I was able to wake up early! I was able to do 1.5 hours of yoga no issues! I was able to bathe in a freezing cold river and enjoy it! I was able to eat vegan food everyday and feel genuinely full and satisfied!  Since being at the retreat I think about those days very often; I have practiced yoga 4-5 times a week since and some qigong too; I had never done qigong before and it was so grounding and magical especially when guided by Farid who made me and all of us feel comfortable in our abilities and also pushed us adequately. I have also become 80% vegan especially when I am home-cooking, which is a huge change and I wouldn’t have made this shift without the retreat. I feel much better in myself since eating this way in my daily life. All the people there have become friends and it became such a family that I was truly sad to leave on the final day. Being around like-minded people and seeing positive physical, mental and emotional changes in people was very eye-opening and inspiring. I am truly looking forward to the next retreat I attend organised by them!! And I recommend it to anyone, no matter where you are in life; it is an environment for everybody and you will never look back. Thank you to all and see you soon!